Pedestrian barrier



B. J. BELSHER PEDESTRIAN BARRIER April 11, 1939.

Filed Dec. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l i B g April 1939. B. J. BELRSHER 2,153,708

' PEDESTRIAN BARRIER Fi ed Dec. as, 1956 2 ShQe'ts Sheet "2 Patented Apr. 11, 1939 PATENT FFiCE PEDESTBIAN BARRIER Bernard James Belsher, Barnet, England Application December 8, 1936, Serial No. 114,835

In Great Britain February 26, 1936 1 Claim.

This invention relates to pedestrian barriers such as are now commonly erected along the edges of pavements for the purpose of preventing pedestrians from stepping off the pavements or crossing the roadway except at predetermined points, and is applicable also to cattle pens or other similar fence-like structures.

When first brought into use pedestrian barriers were commonly formed of rigid bars carried by spaced posts and comparatively cumbersome gates or removable sections were required at various intervals (when the barrier was of very considerable length) to enable shopkeepers and tradesmen to have access to delivery vans for loading or unloading or similar purposes.

It has been realised that chains or like flexible members would be a considerable improvement upon the rigid bars as not only would they facilitate the making of any gaps required but also, being of a yielding character, they would offer much greater security to a pedestrian who might be so unlucky as to be caught between the outside of the barrier and the traffic. However, such chains have not so far come into general use, as it was realized that the chains or the like when removed to provide a gap for loading or unloading or other like purposes would present a considerable mass of loose material lying upon the ground and liable to be fouled by traffic or to cause inconvenience to pedestrians The object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty and render the use of chains or similar flexible members entirely practicable, and the invention consists in a pedestrian barrier or similar fence-like structure having at any part where an opening-and-closing gap is or may be required one or more chains or like flexible members weighted or spring-controlled or otherwise disposed so that, when the chain or the like is released to form the gap, it will be automatically withdrawn partially or wholly into the adjacent hollow supporting post so that it will be maintained clear of the surrounding ground surface.

The invention also consists in a pedestrian barrier or the like according to the preceding paragraph in which there is a plurality of chains associated with a single weight or the like governing all the chains.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one mode of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a part of a barrier in accordance with the invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a front elevation and a side elevation on a larger scale of parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation also on a larger scale of a further part shown in Figure 1.

Figures 5 and 6 show various parts of the device shown in Figure 4, and

Figure '7 is a sectional elevation on a slightly larger scale of a part shown in Figure 2.

In carrying my invention into effect in one convenient manner I may form my pedestrian barrier from a plurality of spaced posts a somewhat in the usual manner and between which are arranged chains or other flexible members, or in cases where no gap is required the usual rigid bars may be adopted.

Wherever it is desired at times to afford an opening-and-closing gap in the barrier such gap is normally filled with chains or like flexible members suspended between two adjacent posts defining the limits of the gap, and these posts are made hollow and may be of somewhat larger dimensions than the normal posts as may be found convenient. The gap may, for example, be filled with two chains be which are divided in the middle and have their ends united to bars de'having lugs d e engaging the ends of the members ed so that by a sliding or other movement in one direction the bars may be released and separated while by a sliding or other movement in the reverse direction the bars may be engaged and the gap closed. Handles d e may be fitted to facilitate the engagement and disengagement of the members. The other ends of the chains are attached to a weight slidable in the corresponding post, and if desired the chains may pass over pulleys g or the like antifriction devices carried by the post so as to facilitate movement of the chains, the openings in which the pulleys are arranged being if desired protected by hoods g or like members in order to prevent or minimise the entry of water into the interior of the posts although it will be understood that in general there will be one or more drain holes h at the base of the post to facilitate the egress of any water that may be trapped therein.

The weight controlling the chains may be of cast iron or other suitable material and of sufficient mass to ensure that when the locking means for the chains are released the chains will be automatically withdrawn into the post due to the downward movement of the weight which is conveniently slotted or channelled in order to accommodate the lower chain when weight is descending and upper chain when weight is being lifted out of the post when two of comprised in the barrier.

If necessary or desirable the bars or other means securing the chains may be fitted with some suitable form of look i (Figure 7) in order that they may be released only by authorized persons.

Although the weights balancing the chains and bars allow the required sag, the stop bolt 7' (Figure 4) limits this being exceeded in the event of anyone leaning on the upper, or stepping on the lower, chain.

The dimensions of the parts are so chosen that when the chains are in their retracted position the locking bars will be held suspended in close proximity to the posts and clear of the ground (as shown at the right hand side of Figure 1) so that in this way there will be no obstruction either to trafiic or to pedestrians, If the gap is, say, 6' in width it will be clear that one man can readily perform the operations of opening and closing the gap but it Will of course be understood that the invention is not to be confined to any dimensions.

If desired'the post a may be formed with a hand-hole (for lifting) normally covered by a loose ring 70, and at the bottom of the post there such chains are may be a rubber or other buffer Z totake the impact of the falling weight.

It will be clear that the invention is not to be limited to the foregoing details of construction which are given purely by way of illustration since I may modify the character of the flexible members, the number employed for any particular gap, and the means adopted for securing and releasing the members either at their middle point or at one end or in any other convenient position depending upon any practical requirements that may have to be fulfilled.

I claim:

In a barrier, two hollow posts rigidly fixed in a spaced relation, flexible barriers extending from each post, a bar attached to the flexible barriers extending from one post, a second bar secured to the flexible barriers extending from the other of said posts, a lug carried by one of said bars at one end thereof, a second lug carried by the other of said bars atthe end thereof opposite that of the first mentioned lug whereby said barriers may be joined by sliding one end of each bar into engagement with each lug, and locking means for preventing longitudinal movement of one bar with respect to the other of said bars.

BERNARD JAMES BELSI-IER, 

